Water wheel apparatus



Sgpt. 2, 1958 E; RUTKOVE 2,350,261

WATER WHEEL APPARATUS Eiled Aug. 29, 19.56 K 3 sheets shet l IlVVENTOR.YBYEDWARD RUTKOVE Sept. 2, 1958 5. RUTKOVE ,2

' WATER WHEEL APPARATUS Filed Aug. 29, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lllli i n I'////////7///////////@ mlm I INVTOR. BYEDWARD RUTKOVE Sept. 2, 1958 vRUTKOVE WATER WHEEL APPARATUS Filed Au 29, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 v INVENTOR. EDWARD RUTKOVE 2,85%,Zf l

Patented Sept. 2, 1858 r9 roe WA'IER WHEEL APPARATUS Edward Rutkove,Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application August 29, 1956, Serial No. 606,825

4 Claims. (Cl. 253-26) This invention relates to water actuated machinesor wheels for supplying power, as for example, for the purpose ofrotating a shaft with the shaft in turn driving any of various devicesincluding generators, display devices, toys, etc.

The main object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus ofthe type described that will be adapted for operation in a body ofmoving water, the apparatus including floats, carried at the ends of aplurality of arms angularly arranged about the shaft to be turned, andsuccessively moved into the water. In the invention, the pressure of themoving water is adapted to elevate each float as the float moves intothe water, and this in turn is adapted to shift the arm carrying thefloat upwardly, in a path extending diametrically of the axis of theshaft, in such a manner as to overbalance the upper end of the arm. Theoverbalanced end thereafter tends to travel downwardly toward the water,causing continuous rotation of discs secured to the shaft, on whichdiscs the arms are slidably supported.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide means so designedas to cause the arms, when they are shifted upwardly, to be held againstslidable, retrograde movement, during travel of the arm through 180,said means being designed so as to hold the arm against slidablemovement until such time as the water exerts a positive force against afloat carried by the arm, tending to slidably move the arm to isopposite extreme position. Said means is then again adapted to hold thearm against retrograde movement for another 180 part of its full cycleof rotation.

Another object is to provide novelly designed float means adapted to aidin the overbalancing of each arm, for the purpose of facilitating thecontinuous rotation of the discs carried by the arms.

Still another object is to provide apparatus as stated which will besimply designed, so as to minimize frictional losses.

A further object is to provide a device of the type described designedto permit a plurality of the devices to be spaced axially of and besecured to a single shaft.

Another object is to so form the apparatus as to particulsrly adapt thesame for mounting in a river or other body of moving water in whichthere is a continuous current, so that the force of the current may beemployed for imparting continuous rotatable movement to the apparatus.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of an apparatus formed according tothe invention, a shaft rotated thereby being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View on line 22 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the float-carrying arms per se.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a second arm.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a third arm.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a fourth arm.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified construction.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of the modificationshown in Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings in detail, mounted in the path of a body ofmoving water W are spaced, upstanding bearing posts 19, having bearingopenings 11 at their upper ends in which a horizontally disposed shaft12 is journalled. The body of water may be a river or a running creek ora pond with a falls and the like. The drawing is somewhat diagrammaticalin respect to the bearing posts, and in a commercial embodiment, pillowblock bearings or the like would be provided at the upper ends of thebearing posts. Further, anti-friction means such as ball or rollerbearings can be utilized for the shaft journals, to minimize frictionallosses.

The apparatus constituting the present invention has been generallydesignated at 13. Only one machine is illustrated, by way of example.However, a series or bank of the machines may be utilized in acommercial installation, with all of said machines being drivinglyconnected to a single shaft 12, the machines of the series being spacedaxially of the shaft. In the illustrated example the apparatus includesidentically formed first and second discs 14, 16 respectively spacedaxially of shaft 32 and having center openings receiving the shaft. Theshaft is fixedly secured to the discs, or is otherwise connected to thediscs in any manner that will provide for joint rotation of the discsand shaft.

Carried by each disc is a pair of float-supporting arms. Thus there is aflrst arm 18 in contact with the outer face of the first disc 14; asecond arm 20 in contact with the inner face of the first disc 14; athird arm 22 in contact with the inner face of the second disc 16; and afourth arm 24 in contact with the outer face of the second disc 16. Allthe arms are disposed diametrically of their associated discs, with theopposite ends of each arm projecting substantial distances beyond thedisc periphery. Each arm at its ends carries floats, which can be hollowas shown to impart the desired buoyancy thereto, or

alternatively can be filled with a buoyant material such as cork.Considering the floats carried by the ends of first arm 18, these havebeen designated at 26. Arm it at its ends, has laterally projectingextensions 28 and these are secured to the inner surfaces of the floats26 by screws 35) or equivalent fasteners. The floats 26, viewed in sideelevation, project from arm 18 in the direction of rotation of thediscs, and the leading portions of the floats taper, viewing the floatsin cross section, with the outer surfaces of the floats being curved orbowed in a direction outwardly from the axis of rotation of shaft 12.This arrangement permits each float to enter the water with minimumresistance, thus to further reduce frictional losses.

The arm 18 is secured to its associated floats 26 at one end of thefloats, and as shown in Fig. 3 the floats project laterally in onedirection from the plane of the arm 18, a substantial distance.

Formed in arm 18 medially between the ends thereof is a longitudinalslot 32 receiving shaft 12. Beyond opposite ends of slot 32 arm 18 isloosely, slidably posi tioned through guides 34 disposed adjacent theperiphery of the first disc 14. Arm 13 is thus mounted on the disc forlimited sliding movement in the direction of its length, the arm slidingin a path lying diametrically of the axis of rotation of shaft 12.

All the other arms are similarly formed and mounted on their associateddiscs except that the second and third arms 20, 22 are secured to theirassociated floats 36, 38, respectively, a short distance inwardly fromone end of the floats. The fourth arm 24 is secured to its associatedfloats 40 at the extremities of the floats 40.

The purpose of this arrangement is to cause all the floats to have theiropposite ends in common planes; For example, the left-hand ends of thefloats 26, 36, 38 and 40, viewing the same as in Fig. 2, are in acommon-vertical plane, and also lying in this vertical plane is the arm18. The right-hand ends of the several floats, still viewing the same asin Fig. 2, are in a second common vertical plane, the fourth arm 24 alsobeing disposed in the second plane.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the arms are uniformly spaced angularly aboutthe shaft axis, forty-five degrees apart. The number of arms could beincreased or decreased, but in each instance there would be uniformangular spacing thereof about the shaft axis.

Further, the second, third and fourth arms are all mounted on theirassociated discs in the same manner as arm 18, that is, they have slotsreceiving shaft I2, so that they may slide independently of one anotherupon the discs, and further, they are slidably engaged in guides 34.

Spaced inwardly from the ends of arm 13 and the ends of the other armsare permanent magnets 42. The arm 18, as well as the other arms, isitself made of a nonmagnetic material, and the same is true of thediscs.

However, guides 34 are made of a material adapted to be attracted to themagnets 42.

'In operation, with the parts as shown in Fig. 1, when the gravity wheelis set in motion, either automatically or manually, it will beoverbalanced to the right (in Fig. 1) of a vertical line passing throughthe shaft axis. This is so because the arms at the right of said axiswill be so disposed relative to their associated discs as to project.

beyond the disc peripheries a greater distance at the right of the shaftaxis than the distance said arms project, at their other ends, beyondthe disc peripheries at the left of said axis.

As the floats move in succession into the water W during rotation of thewheel, the pressure of the running water against the floats forces thefloats upwardly due to the buoyancy of the floats. This causes each arm,as it moves into a vertical position such as the position of the arm18in Fig. l, to be bodily shifted upwardly. When the arm is so shiftedupwardly, thelower magnet 42 thereof will move into registration withthe lower guide 34 through which the arm passes. As a result, a magneticattraction will be set up, causing the lower guide to be attracted tothe lower magnet.

Now, as the disc continues to turn and the lower end of the arm movesout of the water to the position in which arm 20 is shown in Fig. l, thearm will not slide backwardly within its guides, due to the magneticattraction of guide 34 to magnet 42.

In this connection, the magnetic force, while sufiicient to cause thearms to remain temporarily in the positions to which they are slidablymoved by the pressure of the moving water on the floats, is not so greatas to prevent the arms from being slidably moved once again, when thefloats at their other ends move into the water. Therefore, when the armsare once again slidably moved, this time in an opposite direction, bythe moving water, the magnets which were previously at the upper ends ofthe arms but are now at the lower ends thereof will move upwardly intoregistration with their associated guides- It will be understood thatthe device, when used in a body of water having a strong current, isadapted to be continuously rotated, for the purpose of turning theshaft.

belt may be trained about another pulley, now shown, for the purpose ofdriving any of various machines, generators, etc.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the device has thesame basic operational characteristics as the first form thereof.However, in this instance instead of using magnetic means 42 forreleasably holding the several arms in the respective positions to whichthey are shiftable, locking devices are used comprising angularlyshaped, pivoted members weighted at one end and formed with pawls orlocking fingers at their other ends.

In this form of the invention, it is preferred that there be thirty-sixarms, angularly spaced five degrees apart about the circumference of therotated shaft.

In the illustrated example shown in Figs. 7 and 8, only four arms,rather than thirty-six, are shown. To provide for thirty-six arms,various structural arrangements could be employed, and it is not desiredthat the protection for the invention be limited to any particularstructural arrangement, except as necessarily required by the scope ofthe appended claims.

For example, the device could be made in individual units, all connectedin coaxial relationship along the length of the driven shaft means, witheach unit having the specified number of arms, as for example four armsper unit, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. In this instance, there would benine of the units shown in Figs. 7 and 8, spaced axially of the drivenshaft, and the arms of the several units so arranged would be sodisposed as to pro: vide, considering all the units as a singleassembly, for the desired angular spacing of the arms five degrees fromone another.

In other words, the principle of the invention is of the mainimportance, rather than the particular number and spacing of the armsshown on the unit shown by way of example.

In any event, in the modified form (which, it should be noted, may bepreferred over the first form) the individual unit illustrated comprisesidentical discs 47 each of which would be connected to a shaft 48extending outwardly from the associated disc. Thus, the shafts 48extending outwardly from a pair of spaced discs 47 would be coaxiallyarranged, and would be journalled isn bearings 49 mounted upon the upperends of standards Connected between the spaced discs 47 are elongatedconnecting members or braces 50, 52, 54, 56. As shown in Fig. 7, thereis a pair of the braces 50, with the braces of the pair beingdiametrically opposed. Similarly, there are two braces 52, alsodiametrically opposed, two diametrically opposed braces 54, and twodiametrically opposed braces 56. The several braces are uniformly spacedabout the circumferences of the discs 47, and since only four arms areshown in the illustrated example, thereare only four pairs of braces,one pair for each arm. If

thirty-six arms are provided upon a single unit, there would bethirty-six pairs of braces, with the centers of the braces angularlyspaced five degrees apart about the circumferences of their associateddiscs.

The braces of each pair are formed with slot-like guide openings aligneddiametrically of the discs 47. In

the openings of the braces 50 an arm 58, disposed diametrically of disc47, is slidablevin the direction of its length. In the slot-likeopenings of braces 52, a similar from disc 47 than is the arm 60, whilearm 64 would bespaced a slightly greater distance from disc 47 than isthe arm 62. If thirty-six arms areprovided in asingle unit, thestaggered arrangement, longitudinally of the rotating assembly, would becontinued through the entire thirty-six arms.

Mounted upon the outer ends of the several arms are floats, which may beformed and arranged, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, similarly to the severalfloats of the arms in the first form of the invention. Thus, there arefloats 66, 68, 70, 72 upon the respectively opposite ends of the arms58, 60, 62, 64, respectively.

Adjacent the arm sliding in each pair of diametrically opposed bracemembers, there is an opening 74 (see Fig. 8), and extendinglongitudinally and centrally of said opening, parallel to the axis ofshaft 48, is a pivot pin 76, passing loosely through an opening formedin an enlargement provided at the juncture of fixedly connected,angularly related arm members 78, 80 of a locking device generallydesignated 81. There is a separate locking device for each arm, andsince all the locking devices are identical, the description of one willsuifice for all.

The arm 78 is substantially shorter than the arm 80, and is disposed atan angle of approximately ninety degrees to the arm 80. Arm 78, at itsouter end, is integral or otherwise made rigid with a plate-like,laterally projecting locking pawl or finger 82, while on the outer endof the arm 80 of each locking device 81 there is a weight 84.

The locking device is freely swingable in opposite directions upon theassociated pin 76, with the pawl 82 extending into the plane of theassociated arm. In this connection, each arm, adjacent its oppositeends, has a longitudinal series of locking teeth 86, the series at oneend of an arm being formed on one longitudinal edge thereof, with theseries at the other end of the same arm being formed upon the oppositelongitudinal edge of the arm. Each series of teeth defines notches 87occurring between the teeth 86, with each notch 87 having an elongated,sloping surface oblique to the length of the associated arm merging intoan end wall of the notch perpendicular to the length of the arm. Thus,the teeth provide ratchet means on the opposite ends of each arm, sothat the locking device at a particular end of an arm is arranged topermit movement of the adjacent end of the arm in a direction away fromthe periphery of disc 47, while preventing movement of said adjacent endof the arm in a direction toward the disc.

It will be seen, thus, taking arm 58 as an example, that the lockingdevice 81 shown adjacent the upper end of arm 58, viewing the same as inFig. 7, is adapted to permit movement of arm 58 upwardly in Fig. 7. Onupward movement of arm 58 in Fig. 7, the arm will ratchet along the pawl82 of the upper locking device 81 seen in this figure.

By reason of this arrangement, and considering the operationalcharacteristics of the form of the device shown in Figs. 7 and 8, thearms have the same movements as the arms in Figs. 1-6. However, thelocking devices 81 discharge the functions that are discharged by themagnetic means of the first form of the invention.

Consider, for example, with the device rotating clockwise in Fig. 7,that the lower float of arm 58 has entered the water. The buoyancy ofthe float in the water causes an upward pressure to be exerted againstthe lower float 66 of arm 58, tending to shift the arm 58 upwardly toits Fig. 7 position when arm 58 assumes a fully vertical position.

The upper locking device 81 associated with arm 58 does not prevent saidupward movement, because of the ratcheting action previously describedherein. This is true even though the weight 84 has caused the upperlocking device to pivot clockwise in Fig. 7 to a position in which itspawl 82 is engaged in the upper series of notches of arm 58.

As to the lower locking device 81 associated with the arm 58, the weight84 thereof tends to swing counterclockwise in Fig. 7, to the Fig. 7position. Movement of the lower locking device 81 associated with arm 58in a counterclockwise direction is limited by a stop 88 carried by theassociated brace 50, which stop 88 engages the shorter arm 78 of thelower locking device. When the locking device is engaged against thestop 88, the pawl 82 of the lower locking device is clear of the seriesof locking teeth 86 provided at the lower end of arm 58, viewing thesame as in Fig. 7. Therefore, the lower locking device does not preventthe upward movement of arm 58 in Fig. 7.

Accordingly, arm 58 moves upwardly, so that a greater portion of itslength projects upwardly from disc 47 than projects downwardly from thedisc. Retrograde movement of the arm 58 is prevented by the pawl 82 ofthe upper locking device, engaging in a notch of the upper series ofnotches.

The continued movement of the device in a clockwise direction will bringarm 58 to the position in which arm 64 is shown in Fig. 7. The lowerlocking device 81 is still clear of the arm, and the upper lockingdevice is still engaged in the upper series of notches, due to theweighting of the locking device. Accordingly, the arm is stilloverbalanced to the right of the axis of shaft 48, tending to causecontinued rotation of disc 47.

When arm 58 reaches the position in which arm 62 is shown in Fig. 7, thelocking devices are still arranged as previously described, with theupper locking device now being at a 3 oclock position upon the disc andthe lower locking device being at a 9 oclock position thereon. Thisarrangement continues through the next stage, in which the arm 58 wouldnow be in the position shown for the arm in Fig. 7. The arm is stilloverbalanced at the right of the axis of shaft 48, and now its otherfloat begins to enter the water so that the arm is once again shiftedupwardly as it assumes a vertical position.

This arrangement of course holds true for all the other arms, and as aresult, the disc is always overbalanced to the right of the axis ofshaft 48, so that it continues to rotate in a clockwise direction. Aspreviously noted, the device would preferably embody a total ofthirty-six arms, angularly spaced five degrees apart about the axis ofrotation, so that at all times there is a plurality of the arms enteringthe water and moved upwardly in rapidly following order, an arm beingmoved upwardly every five degrees of the rotation cycle of disc 47.

As noted in connection with the first form, the device will becontinuously rotated for the purpose of turning the shaft, and theshaft, when so turned, will be used for any desired purpose. Thus, apulley and belt such as shown at 44 and 46, respectively, in theillustrations of the first form of the invention may be employed, withthe belt being trained about another pulley for the purpose of drivingany of various machines, generators, etc.

It is to be understood that any suitable liquid may be used instead ofwater, and that the rotary arms may be located at varying angulardistances from 5 up.

While i have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes andmodifications may be made within the scope of the invention as definedin the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is:

l. A water actuated wheel comprising a shaft, discs secured thereto,guides on the discs, arms extending diametrically of the discs andslidably supported in the guides, said arms being angularly spaced aboutthe shaft axis, floats carried by the arms for slidably shifting thearms in succession upon the discs responsive to pressure of moving waterupon entry of the floats in following order into a body of moving water,thus to overbalance the arms at one side of the shaft axis to promoterotational movement ofthe discs and shaft, and means on the arms forretaining the same in the positions to which they are shifted throughtravel over 180 of a full cycle of rotation of the arms about the shaftaxis, said means being of a strength adapted to be overcome by thelifting force exerted by the pressure of the water against the floats,whereby to free the arms for shifting in an opposite direction at theend of each 180 of travel of the respective arms about the shaft axis,there being two of said discs, spaced axially of the shaft, the armsbeing arranged in pairs, one pair on each disc, one arm of each pairsliding on one face of its associated disc and the other arm of the samepair sliding on the other face of the associated disc, the arms of eachpair being angul'arly spaced 45 apart about the shaft axis, all of thearms projecting at their opposite ends beyond the disc peripheries, thefloats being arranged in pairs, one float of a pair on one end of eacharm and the other float of the same pair on the other end of the samearm, said floats tapering when viewed in cross section, and projectingfrom their associated arms in the direction of rotation of the shaft anddiscs, the tapered portions of the floats leading in the sense of saiddirection of rotation.

2. A water actuated Wheel comprising a shaft, discs secured thereto,guides on the discs, arms extending diametrically of the discs andslidably supported in the guides, said arms being angularly spaced aboutthe shaft axis, floats carried by the arms for slidably shifting thearms in succession upon the discs responsive to pressure of moving waterupon entry .of the floats in following order into 'a body of movingwater, thus to overbalance the arms at one side of the shaft axis topromote rotational movement of the discs and shaft, and means on thearms for retaining the same in the positions to which they are shiftedthrough travel over 180 of a full cycle of rotation of the arms aboutthe shaft axis, said means being of a strength adapted to be overcome bythe lifting force exerted by the pressure of the water against thefloats, whereby to free the arms for shifting in an opposite directionat the end of each 180 of travel of the respective arms about the shaftaxis, there being two of said discs, spaced axially of the shaft, thearms being arranged in pairs, one pair on each disc, one arm of eachpair sliding on one face of its associated disc and the other arm of thesame pair sliding on the other face of the associated disc, each armhaving intermediate its ends a longitudinal slot receiving the shaft,for limiting sliding movement of the arms in opposite directions, saidguides being formed of a magnetically attractabl'e material, said meanscomprising permanent magnets mounted on the arms, one magnet of each armmoving into registration with one of the guides receiving said arm, onslidable shifting of the arms, to hold the arms against retroactivemovement during their travel over said 180 of a full cycle of rotation.

3. A water actuated wheel comprising a shaft, discs secured thereto,guides on the discs, arms extending diametrically of the discs andslidably supported in the guides, said arms being angularly spaced aboutthe shaft axis, floats carried by the arms for slidably shifting thearms in succession upon the discs responsive to pressure of moving waterupon entry of the floats in following order into a body of moving water,thus to overbalance the arms at one side of the shaft axis to promoterotational movement of the discs and shaft, and means on the arms forretaining the sarne in the positions to which they are shifted throughtravel over 180 of a full cycle of rotation of the arms about the' shaftaxis, said means being of a strength adapted to be overcome by thelifting force exerted by the pressure'of the water against the floats,wherebyto free the arms for shifting in an opposite direction at the endof each 180 of travel of the respective .arms about the shaft axis, saidmeans comprising a plurality of locking devices pivoted upon therespective guides adjacent the several arms, said locking devices beingweighted to normally maintain a locking device in engagement with eacharm, each locking d device including a pawl and each arm including aseries of notches in which the pawl is adapted to engage to hold the armagainst movement in one direction while permitting ratcheting of thearms along the pawl during shifting of the arms in said oppositedirection.

4. A water actuated wheel comprising a shaft, a disc secured thereto,guides on the disc, arms extending diametrically of the disc andslidably supported in the guides, said arms being angularly spaced aboutthe shaft axis, floats carried by the arms for slidably shifting thearms in succession upon the disc responsive to pressure of moving Waterupon entry of the floats in following order into a body of water, thusto overbalance the arms at one side of the shaft axis to promoterotational movernent of the disc andshaft, and means associated with thearms for retaining the same in positions to which they are shifted inone direction through part of a full cycle of rotation 'of the-armsabout the shaft axis, said means being adapted to release the arms forshifting in an opposite direction at the end of said partial rotation ofthe respective arms about the shaft axis, said means comprising pairs ofangularly formed locking devices each pivoted upon aguide, there beingone pair for each arm with one locking device of the pair adjacent oneend of the arm and the other adjacent the other end, each locking devicebeing formed at its oppositeends with a Weight and with a pawlrespectively, the ends of the respective arms having longitudinal seriesof ratchet teeth engageable by the pawls, said locking devices being soweighted as to shift the pawls into engagement with the adjacent series'of notches at the point of highest travel of the locking device, theratchet teeth associated with each locking device being arranged topermit ratcheting of the arm over the locking device when the lock-- ingdevice is at said point of highest travel, the locking devices being soweighted as to shift out of engagement with'the ratchet teeth when thelocking'devices are at their point of lowest travel, each guideincluding a stop adjacent each locking device arranged to limit movementof the locking device in a direction out of'engagement with theassociated arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED 'STATES PATENTS

